Flexible shaft and casing therefor.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

E. WEYBURN. FLEXIBLE SHAFT AND CASING THEREFOR.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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' bent or curved position.

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ELBERT D. WEYBURN, OF OOI-IOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WEYBURN MACHINECOMPANY, OF NEW YO YORK.

RK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW FLEXIBLE SHAFT ANofcAsme THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lEfatent No. 729,823, dated June2, 190a. Application filed August 14, 1901. Serial No. 72,023. (Nomodeln To aZZ whom it nuty concern:

a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, formerly a resident ofChicago, Illinois, but now of Cohoes, in the county of Albany andStateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFlexible Shafts and Casings Therefor, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in flexible or pliable shafts andto the covers or sleeves therefor, my object being toimprove theconditions and means for operating a shaft suspended from an overhangingtransmitting device and which is constructed of "jointed parts fastenedtogether to permit of flexibility and at the same time to retainstrength and durability.

Flexible shafts have mostly been constructed out of spring-wire that istwisted or wound in layers one upon the other. This makes them flexible,and they could be used in a These shafts have ordinarily been incased orworked inside of a coiled-spring cover or sheath. Both the shaft and thecover have possessed more or less spring tension, and when they wereused in a bent or curved position it was necessary to use more musculareffort or strength than if the shafts were in a normal or straightposi-. tion when running. The spring tension of the shaftand case causesextrafriction and also requires extra power to move them when in a bentor curved position. The extra friction also destroys and wears the shaftand cover and soon makes them weak and worthless, thereby causing lossto the owner and operator. The Wire shafts are also cumbersome andunwieldy, especially if madeof a diameter to insure strength.

I have contrivedfand made a pliable shaft from hollow joints, which Imill at the ends, and form jaws, into which Ifit a twisted link, andthese parts are fastened together with screws or rivets. The hollowlinks and twisted links move together and have sufficient lateral sideplay to enable me to bend the knuckle-joints and get the requiredpliability for the purpose. There is no spring or tor- -turned under, soas to interlap or overlap each other, and these overlapped edges form agroove that is a trifle wider than the turned edges, and this admits ofa side or lateral movement of the lapped edges and affords sufficientflexibility to permit the metallic case to be moved to the extent that aportion may be in a horizontal position, while another part may bevertically disposed. There being no spring in the metal case, which isof cylindrical shape, it readily conforms to any angle or position it isput into and remains where it is placed until putinto another position.Therefore when the knuckle-jointed shaft is incased in the metallic caseit will be seen that there is no resisting spring tension to overcome,and both the knuckle-jointed shaft and the metallic case conform to allangles they are put into and are used with less effort and labor thanother combinations heretofore used as flexible shafts and sheaths. Thehollow joints are lighter in weight than if made solid, and the hollowspace inside is used as an oil-pocket to holdlubricant for the purposeof oiling the outside of theshaft. I place an absorbent material, suchas sponge or cotton waste, inside of the hollow joint and saturate thiswith a suitable lubricant. When the jointed shaft is moving, itscentrifugal force of the twisted links and outside of the hollow jointsand this will lubricate the inside surface of the metallic case. Thetwisted links being made so that only theirthinnest edges touch themetallic case, less than one-half of their surface is subject tofriction, and having less thanone-half of a. solid, shaftin size andweight these contribute to the lasting properties of the shaft and case.

I am aware that shafts have been made with solid hinged links andcylindrical parts as well as gimbal-jointed parts to obtain flexure; butI have never seen a shaft made of hollow parts and twisted links as Idewill distribute the lubricant over the surface scribe it. Thereforethe invention consists finally in the peculiar construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and definitely claimed at theend hereof.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of an overhanging suspension device with myimproved knuckle-jointed shaft and flexible casingillustrated assupported thereby. Fig. 2 is a side view of my knuckle-jointed shaft.Fig. 3 is a side View of my twisted link. Fig. 4 is an end View of mytwisted link. Fig. 5 is a sectional side View of my hollow knucklejoint.Fig. 6 is an end view of my hollow knuckle-joint. Fig. '7 is alongitudinal side view of my metallic case.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letters, A representsthe ceiling or overhanging support, to which are connected thepost-brackets a which support a pulleyhanger b at the left-hand end anda pulley-- hanger I) at the right-hand end. The first of these supportsa driving-pulley is, from which power is transmitted through pulleys fand shaft L, j ournaled in the aforesaid hanger Z ,to a pulley 9,carried by the lower end of said shaft L, and from said pulley p to apulley K,rotating with a shaft Land from this shaft, to apulley S,journaled in a pulley-hanger F. This pulley S is secured to ascrew-ferrule It. The parts so far described form the subject-matter ofan application filed on the 14th day of May, 1902, Serial No. 107,311,and therefore need no further description. The parts comprising myinvention are suspended from this screw-ferrule R and may be describedas follows:

U is myimproved half-twisted flat link, the ends of which are twisted sothat the flat sides are at right angles to each other. At the flat sidesfit into thejaws that are made in the hollow joints at 102.

V is my hollow joint made with open jaws at each end, said jaws beingmade to hold the flat sides of the twisted links V, and the walls insaid jaws act as a support and bearing for said twisted links and takethe strain and wear off of the screw or rivet that holds the two partstogether. Inside of the joint V is a lubricant absorbent W, which isintended to hold oil or lubricant and distribute the same when the shaftis in motion.

S is my flexible non-rotating case, broken open to show the overlappingedges ti, and these edges are turned under, so as to interlap or overlapeach other, and the overlapped edges form a groove a trifle wider thanthe turned-under edges, which admits of a side or lateral movement ofthe lapped edges and affords sufficient flexibility to permit themetallic case to be moved to the extent that a portion may be in ahorizontal position, while another part may be vertically disposed, ashereinbefore set forth. It is to be understood that this metallic easingis not of the nature of a spring, but is'movable to any position towhich it is placed and remains there until it is moved into anotherposition. Hence when the operator moves the cutter to one position thereis absolutely no friction of the parts of the casing until the operatormoves the cutter to another position.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A knuckle-jointed flexible shaft constructed of hollow joints withopen jaws, in combination with flat twisted links fitting into the openjaws and means for securing said hollow joints and twisted links,substantially as described.

2. A knuckle-jointed flexible shaft constructed of hollow joints withopen jaws, in combination with flat twisted links fitting into the openjaws, and means for securing said hollow joints and twisted links, theaforesaid hollow joints having pockets adapted to receive an absorbentmaterial for the purpose of oiling the parts, substantially asdescribed.

A knuckle-jointed flexible shaft constructed of hollow joints with openjaws and fiat twisted links fitting into said open jaws, means forsecuring said hollow joints and twisted links together, and a pliablemetallic tubular casing or non-rotating cylinder made of a tape orribbon with overlapping edges permitting a lateral side movement orflexure as said shaft is moved from one position to another,substantially as described.

ELBERT D. WEYBURN.

' Witnesses:

-F. RICHARD ANDERSON, EDWARD C. VVEYBURN.

